Interesting information about the dog and praying. I haven't seen the show yet, so I will hold off in my comments. I do agree that some religions, including Christianity is pretty violent. When I read about how God ordered his people to kill not only the thief, but his wife, children, and cattle, because of his actions, I thought that was pretty cruel. Also, God ordered that children be killed who disrespected their parents. And in the new testament, the Bible speaks of the those who reject Jesus being casted in to a lake of fire. Scary stuff IMO.

12-13-2011, 04:59 PM

Tilden

Re: All-American Muslim on TLC

Quote:

Originally Posted by MsDiva2007

I know Shadia has alot people upset with her over the dog. I guess her husband had the dog for 10 years and the dog is 16 years old. I did feel bad for him when he cried,and I am not a pet person because I do have allergies of my own. Apparently you can't pray if there is dog hair around.

As far as Russell Simmons he is worth around $500 Million last time I checked.

Wouldn't you think they would have--or should have--discussed the dog issue prior to their marriage? If the dog is 16, re-homing him would be extremely difficult, and if her husband has had the dog for ten years, naturally he is attached to the dog. If he's the one who converted to Islam to marry her, you'd think they would have talked about that prior to his conversion. Not that I was thinking of converting, but the dog hair thing alone would prevent it for me. There's enough dog hair in my house to brand me an infidel for life, and there's no way that's changing.

12-13-2011, 05:14 PM

diamonds78

Re: All-American Muslim on TLC

I've never known a dog to live to 16 years, I doubt it had many months left. It looks like she'd put up with it in the old house. I too suffer from allergies but hers didn't look severe, I didn't see any red eyes or wheezing. She should have put up with it for the little time it had left. I felt very sad for the dog, the husband needs to grow some balls!

12-13-2011, 05:20 PM

Tilden

Re: All-American Muslim on TLC

I just checked out the situation with the dog. Boy, it's a good thing I'm no longer watching, because I would have wanted to reach through the screen and throttle that woman. It seems she had been living with the dog, but they were moving into a new home, and she didn't want him there. She used the religion excuse, she used her allergies/asthma as an excuse (not that there aren't people who really have that as a legitimate excuse, but if she'd already been living with the dog, her situation couldn't have been that severe), and then finally admitted that she just hadn't been raised with dogs and didn't want one around. The dog was re-homed, but he and her husband are likely still missing each other severely. Considering the dog was sixteen, and her husband converted to Islam for her and accepted her son as his own, you'd think she could manage to live with a dog she'd already been living with for the time the dog has left. If he's already sixteen, it's not like she'd be committing to another ten years of dog ownership.

Interestingly, there are plenty of American Muslim dog owners who are objecting to what happened, as it gives the impression that all Muslims consider all dogs unclean and unsuitable as pets/family members. Evidently, that's not the case. It depends a lot on what branch of Islam one follows and how one interprets what the Koran says about dogs. Some Muslims who adhere to the idea that a prayer space must be kept pure simply keep one room of the house dog free, change their clothes before they pray, and consider that appropriate. Others believe that it's only the saliva and hair of "wild dogs" that are considered unclean, as opposed to domestic dogs, so it really isn't a problem for them. Others believe very strongly that all dogs are unclean, period, and should not be kept in the home. There isn't apparently one view of dogs (or pets) to which all American Muslims adhere.

12-13-2011, 05:43 PM

jadewarlock

Re: All-American Muslim on TLC

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamonds78

I've never known a dog to live to 16 years, I doubt it had many months left. It looks like she'd put up with it in the old house. I too suffer from allergies but hers didn't look severe, I didn't see any red eyes or wheezing. She should have put up with it for the little time it had left. I felt very sad for the dog, the husband needs to grow some balls!

Our dog is a Labrador mix, and he's celebrating 16 years (four years longer than average for dogs of that breed). It's possible.

12-13-2011, 05:48 PM

diamonds78

Re: All-American Muslim on TLC

Quote:

Originally Posted by jadewarlock

Our dog is a Labrador mix, and he's celebrating 16 years (four years longer than average for dogs of that breed). It's possible.

Wow, thats brilliant. My childhood cat lived until 21 but I've never known a dog to live after 14.

12-13-2011, 06:35 PM

Tilden

Re: All-American Muslim on TLC

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamonds78

Wow, thats brilliant. My childhood cat lived until 21 but I've never known a dog to live after 14.

My childhood dog lived to fifteen. How long a dog's life expectancy is depends on any number of things, including its size. Giant breeds might be considered quite old at eight. A small dog might be more like late middle aged at that point. I know of at least one small dog that made it to eighteen, after being rescued as a puppy from the Montana woods, where it was likely dumped to die. She also completely ran a three dog household, even though the other dogs were considerably larger than she was. But then, my eleven year old twenty-three pounder has the new neighbor's boxer completely cowed too. He also still visits at a nursing home twice a month and has taught himself how to open the refrigerator door in the last year.

But really, if the dog was sixteen, and she'd already been living with it, you'd think she could stand to have it around for the time it had left. Even if she wasn't crazy about the dog, she should love her husband enough to understand that it was important to him (and yeah, I agree that he should have stood up for the dog at that point and pointed out what he'd been willing to do for their relationship--if he can convert, you'd think she could put up with a dog for a couple of years, though, honestly, I think if he converted just to please her, he probably shouldn't have done it, because that's not being honest with himself or her about what he believes). If she's admitting it really wasn't that big of a religious or health issue for her, then she should be willing to compromise.

12-13-2011, 08:34 PM

val123elephant

Re: All-American Muslim on TLC

I was furious when Shadia and her sister were walking down the street putting up posters to find Wrigley a new home....you could clearly hear her say "I guess I'm just not a dog person". But she should have said that to Jeff before she let him convert to marry her. Jeff, run like the wind. Wrigley is just the beginning.

12-14-2011, 12:54 AM

Tilden

Re: All-American Muslim on TLC

Quote:

Originally Posted by val123elephant

I was furious when Shadia and her sister were walking down the street putting up posters to find Wrigley a new home....you could clearly hear her say "I guess I'm just not a dog person". But she should have said that to Jeff before she let him convert to marry her. Jeff, run like the wind. Wrigley is just the beginning.

Putting up posters is a terrible way to find a dog a home--you have no idea who might respond and it sounds like she wouldn't have cared what happened to Wrigley. If she's "just not a dog person," yes, she should have made that abundantly clear to Jeff before she married him.

12-14-2011, 01:05 AM

val123elephant

Re: All-American Muslim on TLC

Knowing the kind of place where Wrigley ended up, it did not come cheap. These "forever homes type" places ask for hefty donations to pay for upkeep, meds, etc.